Message Bearer Memo

By Ryan Shaw

These bi-weekly memos are to provide encouragement, exhortation, and spiritual nourishment in the lives of those who have signed the Message Bearer Creed as you prepare to serve the Lord globally, and are influencing your peers with this vision.

Series Title: The Message Bearer God Uses

Memo Topic # 2: One Who Embraces a Lifestyle of Prayer and Fasting

Why Prayer and Fasting?

Throughout the Bible and the history of the church we find men and women who seemed to possess a life in prayer and intercession that few of us seem to attain. They were trained in this art by the hand of God over a long period of time. They didn’t just start one day to walk in powerful intercession. Through seasons of faithfulness and other seasons of seeming failure they persevered in standing in the gap for others. Only heaven will tell what was accomplished and brought forth tangibly in the natural realm as a result of their believing prayer and intercession. Many of these coupled this practice with fasting. In the Old Testament this was often done as a sign of repentance. In the New Testament it became a practice that God used to unleash spiritual power and bring forth victory. I read one author who calls fasting the “atomic power” of his prayer life. It is a spiritual tool that must be re-awakened if we are to see the walls that the enemy has erected around the world ripped down. The lifestyle I am referring to here is that of both elongated fasts (from solid food) that are done periodically as well as a lifestyle of self-denial where day long fasts or a meal are done on a more regular basis. Much that stands in the way of the advancing church today will not be brought down except by lifestyles that combine believing prayer and fasting. We are living in a day when God seems to be preparing His last day army and that the realities of Joel 2:28-30 are on the horizon. These verses (28-29) say,

            “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also on my maidservants and on my menservants, I will pour out my spirit in those days”

Then in verse 32 we see the purpose behind all of this - that people will be saved and brought into the kingdom by the millions. We all like to hear this portion but earlier in the same chapter we read about the prerequisites. God has promises for us throughout the Bible but most of them are contingent upon some action on our part. This one is no different. In a couple places of this chapter, there is the call to fast (vs. 12, 15) and pray. This is the predecessor of God unleashing His power in the earth.

Reasons It Moves God

Why does God care about a lifestyle of committed prayer and fasting? The first reason is that it requires discipline. God loves to see us demonstrate discipline. When we begin to master our lives, our schedules, our time, He is pleased. In this same vein, it shows Him that we are serious about pursuing His heart – no matter what! When we choose to embrace Him instead of filling our hungry stomachs, or seek Him early in the morning choosing to sacrifice sleep, His heart is overwhelmed with pleasure by our love. Another reason He cares so much is that He has set things up in such a way that this will in time release spiritual power. We may not see things changing right away but if we will remain faithful over the long haul we will see amazing things. God wants to bring forth supernatural marvels for the sake of His glory among the nations but many of us don’t lay the foundation in believing prayer for Him to do so.

Prayer and intercession is the track that we lay for God to run on and bring forth breakthrough. In Acts 12:5 we read,

            “Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.”

The lesson of Acts 12 seems to be the relationship between prayer and intercession on Peter’s behalf and his subsequent release from prison. There was a cause and effect pattern here! Could we say that Peter might have been killed by Herod if the church had not been praying? God, obviously, is sovereign, but we know that He also moves as a result of believing prayer and intercession. The relationship here is a bit of a mystery, but we know that there are times when things are only accomplished through the intercessions of His people. Here, Peter’s life was saved as a result.

Part of His desire to move each of us into a life of intercession includes deepening us spiritually. (Some have a special calling to devote all of their lives to intercession, but all of us are called to be involved in some capacity.) The problem before us in global proclamation can only be solved as each believer begins to take his or her responsibility for it. Before a heart of passion for the nations in unleashed, however, a heart must be taken into deeper intimacy with the heart of God, which is what intercession can do. Cultivating a lifestyle of prayer and intercession births a deeper consecration and wholehearted devotion to Him.

What Happens In the Heavenly Realm?

Spiritual warfare is another concept that God seems to be highlighting in many circles. Matthew 11:12 is a powerful verse that I suspect most of us have not grasped the depth of. Jesus states,

            “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by

            force.”

I’ve often wondered what Jesus was saying here. The term violence in this context means “to tear”. Jesus is saying that from the days that John came onto the scene something shifted in the heavenly realm and a tearing happened. This tearing unleashed spiritual power that was manifested in Jesus and the disciples when they were sent out to preach, heal the sick, and bring deliverance to those oppressed of the devil. The new era would be characterized by this tearing in the heavenlies. At the end of the verse, we receive a personal challenge to aid the process by being people who “tear” the heavenly realm ourselves, not by physical force but spiritually through prayer and intercession. The word “force” connotes a spiritual seizing that we are called to participate in. To seize this tearing of the heavenly realm so that His kingdom can come and His will be done on earth. We are to engage in this with all of our hearts, so that spiritual power is able to be manifested all over the world today!

Pitfalls

Let me highlight a few pitfalls many of us get sidetracked with as we pursue this lifestyle. A major one surrounds our feelings. We begin well, full of passion and fervency, to become the greatest intercessor the world has ever seen. Quickly this zeal fades and we no longer want, in our flesh, to continue. This is a great test to our faithfulness. God never promises any type of feelings to be attached to what He calls us to do. Many of us mistake feelings surrounding something as God leading us either to participate or not, a grave misunderstanding of God’s guidance. There will be many times of prayer and intercession that will be dry and yet God calls us to press on faithfully, trusting that He is using it to establish His purposes in people’s lives and around the world. A second pitfall is a wrong motive of simply seeking the results, and not greater depth in our intimacy with Jesus. All prayer and intercession should lead us into knowing more of Jesus. The greatest intercessors are those who abide in Him and as a result of waiting and ministering unto Him (worshipping and adoring) receive from Him that which to intercede for. 

Recommended Reading On This Subject:

Rees Howells: Intercessor by Norman Grubb

Praying Hyde: Apostle of Prayer by E.G. Carre

With Christ in the School of Prayer by Andrew Murray

How They Prayed: Volume 3 - Missionaries In Revival by Edwin and Lillian Harvey

Answers To Prayer by George Mueller

God’s Chosen Fast by Arthur Wallis

Revival Praying by Leonard Ravenhill

Prayer:

Lord, I confess the weakness of my flesh concerning living a lifestyle of committed intercession and fasting! My flesh is so weak but my spirit is truly willing. I look to you and receive the empowering grace that you freely give to strengthen me to walk and grow in this lifestyle. May I consistently be moving closer to you in prayer and fasting and would you use me as an intercessor in the lives of many for your glory’s sake. May I learn to hear your voice more clearly as I put my hand to the plow! I love you and long to see your power unleashed and your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. Would you tear the heavens and bring this forth through my seizing it in prayer and intercession?

Together for the Nations,

Ryan

Ryan Shaw